I too, like to watch these sorts of things in progress. The main problem is that if one clicks 'notify' then all the people who comment nice job etc, get 'notified' too. Those sorts of messages, I feel, detract from the main thread of interest. Personally I try and wait until the end before commenting. But the hapless contributor thinks they be being ignored, but I would hazard a guess that is not usually the case.Now if there was a Like button or similar that did not interfere with the thread as such...if only...There, I have gone a broke my own 'rule' now.Pete

I am also watching,it will be a fantastic loco when finished, What you have accomplished in a few months is brilliant. 20 years ago I started to build a 7 1/4 Holmside.at the moment just setting the valves ,mind you I only work on it about 2 hours a week .Peter w

I'm reading, but I only like to contribute if i have something useful to say, which isn't that often!

Although while I am here, could you give an idea of what the arrangement of your lathe is? it looks like you've some kind of gearbox in front of the actual headstock?

The lathe is a Chester Model B a 3 in 1 with the mill drill head removed, cheep and nasty but its done everything I want in the last 8 years, its got a huge swing which is very useful at times. It doesn't have a gear box as such, the speed is changed with a belts and pulleys.

The lathe is a Chester Model B a 3 in 1 with the mill drill head removed, cheep and nasty but its done everything I want in the last 8 years, its got a huge swing which is very useful at times. It doesn't have a gear box as such, the speed is changed with a belts and pulleys.

Ah, that explains the headstock arrangement - it was the lever on the front behind the chuck that threw me.

You do some very fine work on it for a 'cheap and nasty' machine - just goes to show its the craftsman not the tool that makes the job

Just a comment. There has been a crab running on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway for the past few days. In the same livery. And a very impressive loco it is. I do remember these from my days as a trainspotter, long before the word was a derogatory term.Yesterday, as I was driving through town there was a wide load procession of low loaders and police escort vehicles heading towards Howarth. So I am assuming the loco has moved on.

Things gave moved on a pass. the frame is assembled and the wheels are in and the pony truck is completed and in the frame, I'm taking her to the track next week to push her round the bends to check that the pony truck works.

And a few in-process shot of the pony truck made from laser cut parts silver soldered together.

I've been slowly beavering away at the build except for a few small tooling projects just as a change. I've got the slide bars and cross head made and I'm making the valve linkage at the moments I did buy a set of laser cut linkages but I didn't like the way you have to fabricate the forked ends so I'm making them out of solid so that they can be case hardened.

The motion plate is made from a laser cut part with the edge fluting milled in the same as for the radius Link Bracket that's shown her clamp roughly in place as a trial fit it won't get fitted till I have the rest of the valve links fitted so that it can be correctly placed.

And I've recently taken delivery taken delivery of the Boiler from Western Steam and I must say they've made a lovely job of it with great service.

Sorry about the pics, one reason I haven't posted earlier is that I got really brassed off with photobucket since they've been run by a bunch of greedy managers so I stopped taking pictures, I've since decided to try another hosting provider (imgur) and i'm only just getting to grips with there system, they posted fine on the Model Engine Maker forum but for some unknown reason they cam out large on this forum.

Hey Stew I'm here I too done post comments as often as I should. I suspect I'm not the only one my current little build and I mean little compared to this has gone from start to finish with very few comments. So at least I hope someone got something out of my posts.

Anyway your build has been awesome so don't stop keeping us updated. You have totally amazed me. I would love to be able too do a build like this but I would not know where to start!!